A Clash of Kings

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of graphic violence, sexual content, and death.

Theon learns that the Starks, the Reeds, Hodor, Osha, and the wolves have all gone missing from Winterfell. He leads a hunting party that includes Reek and the Frey boys into the woods to look for them. Maester Luwin is forced to come along and pleads that Theon show mercy to the boys.

The party follows a trail of wolf tracks until Theon realizes that the wolves have misdirected them. Theon splits his party, but the search turns up empty. Reek suggests that the Starks may have taken shelter at a mill while fleeing northwest to their neighbors, the Umbers. Theon takes a handful of men to ride for the mill.

The reconnaissance team spots a wildling fire on a mountain. Qhorin sends Jon and another ranger named Stonesnake to investigate. They carefully ascend the mountain and confirm that there are three wildling watchers.

Jon and Stonesnake kill the first two wildlings as the third one wakes from sleep. Stonesnake returns to report to Qhorin while Jon holds the wildling at knifepoint. He discovers that she is a girl named Ygritte. She claims that thousands of wildlings are massing beyond the mountain.